Easy Sugar Cookie Icing

Name: Easy Sugar Cookie Icing
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Yield: 60 cookies
Ingredients: 2 ½ cups powdered sugar; ¼ teaspoon kosher salt; 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract; 1/3 cup milk; ½ tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice; Gel food coloring

User Reviews

4.7

549 reviews

Excellent

Prep Time
10 mins
Total Time
10 mins
Servings
60 cookies
Calories
21 kcal
Course
Dessert
Cuisine
American

Easy Sugar Cookie Icing

Iris Warren

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Whether you're baking for the holidays, baking for your kid's class or simply baking just because, this Easy Sugar Cookie Icing is a simple, go-to recipe to make decadently sweet icing for any cookies! Calling for just six simple ingredients that you probably have on hand, this icing recipe is easily customizable and perfect for cookie decorating. With an option to make it vegan and dairy free, this icing is perfect for all cookie lovers!

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Ingredients

Servings

2 ½ cups powdered sugar
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup milk non-dairy milk OK
½ tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice freshly squeezed
Gel food coloring

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Instructions

Measure out the powdered sugar into a sifter or a fine mesh strainer.
Sift the powdered sugar into a large glass bowl. This sifting will ensure there are no lumps in the sugar. Add the salt, and whisk.
In another small bowl, combine the vanilla extract and milk. Whisk them together.
Pour the wet ingredients into the powdered sugar.
Whisk until combined.
Measure in the lemon juice, and whisk until smooth. (This will make 1 ¼ cups icing, and it will be relatively thin.)
Use a measuring scoop to divide the icing as needed. (For 5 colors, use a ¼ cup measure.)
Use the food colors of your choice to dye the icing, stirring with a spoon or a knife until the color is correct.
Spread the icing thinly on top of the cookies, and let dry for 4-6 hours at room temperature before enjoying.

Notes

This recipe makes enough to ice 60 2" sugar cookies, which is why the serving size is 60.
Dairy Free/Vegan Substitutions: You can use non-dairy milk or you can use water in place of cow's milk in this recipe. My favorite non-dairy milks to use here are unsweetened cashew milk or unsweetened almond milk, which you would find in the refrigerated section of your grocery.
The only non-dairy milk I would not use for this recipe is coconut cream (from a can), as it would make the frosting too thick.
Easy Storage Tip: If you are making cookies, but don’t want to have to hustle to make the icing the day-of, whip this up a day or two ahead of time and store in the fridge. Let warm slightly before spreading on top of your completely cooled cookies.
Too much? Too little? If you leftover icing, you can freeze it in an airtight container for a few months (or until you have more cookies to ice!) If you need more icing, you can easily double or triple this recipe without issue.